BUS 230

Technology and
Research Methods
Summer 2021
 Week 1 Session 2

Outline

• Understanding Purpose of Research

• Components of Research

Objectives

By the end of this session students should be able to

• Identify key components of research

 Research Methods

Up until now, we have covered:

- Ethics To answer, we need to
- Honesty and Integrity know what research is
- Objectivity So, how does this apply
and how it is different
- Carefulness and Openness to Research Methods?
from an essay or any
- Plagiarism other non-fiction writing
- Turnitin
- Collusion
 Writing a Research Paper

What are the differences between an Essay and a Research Paper?

Essay Research Paper

Structure: 4-5 paragraphs Structure: Multiple pages

Based on the ideas and experiences of the writer Based on knowledge of previous researchers and
the researcher’s own insights

Answers a question on a selected subject Discusses or analyzes a selected subject

Aims to develop writing skills Aims to build knowledge in a specific field

 Research

Research Based on understanding a Developing ideas regarding

is topic or subject in a certain that topic and
a process field demonstrating knowledge

How to start this process?

By consulting academic sources
 Research

Academic Sources

Books Scholarly, peer reviewed, journal articles Thesis/Dissertations

Online sources
 Research

When researching and implementing the research, you will be asked or told:

What does the

Survey the literature
literature show?
on this topic.

How can you connect your

ideas to the literature?

You will have to explore various

sources using literature to find what
needs to be further researched
 Purpose of a
Research Paper

Why do you think research is carried out?

Research projects:
o Describe, explain, categorize, evaluate, predict and control an observed phenomenon
o Get new insights into a subject
o Deepen the understanding of a phenomenon
o Establish facts
o Reach new conclusions
o Find answers to questions
o Find out the truth, undiscovered knowledge
o Test the causal relationships between variables
 Research

Research or academic research is a careful and detailed study into a specific problem

It uses:
Research Problems → A concern, difficulty, challenge, or question, which
needs to be understood or investigated in a certain field

Research methods → Specific techniques for collecting and analyzing the collected data,
in order to come to reliable conclusion regarding the research
problem

But, how?
 Components of Research

Population Population Problem Objectives of Data

Sampling Environment Statement the Research Collection
(Participant for Research Tools and
demographic) Strategies
(Types of
Research)
These components are used to create
an outline for the research topic
 Components of Research
The population in the
study is referred to as
“subjects” or
Population Sampling A population can “participants”

include:
- individuals
- social groups
- organizations

While a study is carried out, the researcher Some populations are too
A representative
directs their focus to collect data from a because vast, and gathering data therefore
population is selected
specific population can be challenging

Pavlichev, A. (2004). Population. In M. S. Lewis-Beck, A. Bryman, & T. F. Liao (Eds), The SAGE encyclopedia of
social science research methods (pp. 834-835). ISBN: 9780761923633.
 Components of Research

Population Environment The environment the research is carried out in plays a

part in how acceptable the collected data will be

Specific information collected from the target group

This can be:
- A company
- A factory
- A school
- General public
 Components of Research

Focusing on a specific demographic

Population Sampling narrows down the population and
helps control any irregularities in the
data collection process
Demographic methods can used to describe populations.
World
These methods include calculating techniques such as:
Western Asia
- Age Kuwait
- Gender
University
- Racial make up students
- Geographic distribution Female
- Socio-economic status, etc. Watch
Diriliş:
Ertuğrul
Stevens, G. (2004). Demographic methods. In M. S. Lewis-Beck, A. Bryman, & T. F. Liao (Eds), The SAGE
encyclopedia of social science research methods (pp. 246-250). ISBN: 9780761923633.
 Components of Research

Population Sampling Can you think of any samples from specific populations and environments?

For example
If you want to research the
relationship between
speeding and traffic
accidents in Kuwait, which
population would/could you
narrow down?
 Components of Research

Population Sampling Can you think of any samples from specific populations and environments?

For example
If you want to research the Kuwait
relationship between
Jahra Area
speeding and traffic
accidents in Kuwait, which Traffic violators
(Drivers who got tickets)
population would/could you
Drivers with previous accidents
narrow down?
Aged 18-30
 Components of Research

Population Sampling Can you think of any samples from specific populations and environments?

For example
If you want to study the
production line of a factory in
a certain industry, how/what
would you narrow down?
 Components of Research

Problem Statement

The problem statement It justifies the need, the

doesn’t describe the importance, the rationale for
problem in the field the research

Wentz, E. (2014). Problem statement. In Wentz, E. How to design, write, and present a successful dissertation
proposal (pp. 129-148). 55 City Road, London: SAGE Publications, Ltd doi: 10.4135/9781506374710
 Components of Research

Problem Statement It justifies the need, the importance, the rationale for the research

What is your evidence for this?

Imagine
someone tells What are the factors that make this an issue?
you apples are
bad for you
What impact does this have on society?

What solutions/alternatives are there?

https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/15910_Chapter_5.pdf
 Components of Research

Objectives of the Research This part describes the information the research
project will provide to help solve the problem

An effective research objective is

Useful → How the research will contribute to solving a theoretical set of problems

Feasible → How accessible the necessary knowledge and resources are (how doable it is)

Unambiguous → Precisely indicates the project’s contribution to solving the problem

Informative → Gives a general idea of the knowledge the research project will generate in
order to contribute toward finding a solution

Doorewaard, H. (2010). Research objectives. In A. J. Mills, G. Eurepos, & E. Wiebe (Eds), Encyclopedia of case
study research (pp. 816-819). ISBN: 9781412956703.
 Components of Research

Objectives of the Research The research objective is . . . (a) . . . by . . . (b). . . .

Presents how the research project can Gives a clear description of

contribute to finding a solution to the the way this will be
problem described in the literature review obtained
Research Objective

(a) The research objective of the
dissertation project is to further
develop the theory on the
consequences virtual communication
will have on the effectiveness of bank
and insurance services
(b) comparing the effectiveness of the
services that have recently introduced
by virtual communication, with the
effectiveness of the services in
organizations that have not
introduced virtual communication.
 Components of Research

Objectives of the Research The research objective is . . . (a) . . . by . . . (b). . . .

(a) The research objective of the

by (b) Observing their behavior after they
project is to explore the effects of
consume 20, 30, and 40gr of sugar
sugar on primary school children

(a) The research objective of the (b) Running experiments on different

project is to study the effect tire size by vehicle types using a variety of fuel
has on fuel consumption of cars sources and comparing the data

(a) The research objective of the (b) Installing more radar cameras and
project is to reduce the number of car by educating the general public about the
accidents on the Kuwait highways dangers of reckless driving
 Components of Research

Objectives of the Research The research objective is . . . (a) . . . by . . . (b). . . .

Green parks are vital public spaces and play a major role in urban living and well-being. Research

on the attractiveness of green parks often relies on traditional techniques, creating a significant

issue in carrying out the research. Therefore, this article aims to investigate the uses of location-

based social network (LBSN) data by collecting geographical and chronological patterns of park

visits in Shanghai metropolitan city.

 Components of Research

Objectives of the Research The research objective is . . . (a) . . . by . . . (b). . . .

Green parks are vital public spaces and play a major role in urban living and well-being. Research

on the attractiveness of green parks often relies on traditional techniques, creating a significant

issue in carrying out the research. Therefore, this article aims to investigate the uses of location-

based social network (LBSN) data by collecting geographical and chronological patterns of park

visits in Shanghai metropolitan city.

 Components of Research

Objectives of the Research The research objective is . . . (a) . . . by . . . (b). . . .

Daily interaction is a primary means of understanding social change, which is of vital importance

for community well-being. In tourism host communities, daily interactions among different

resident groups reflect tourism’s effects and these are directly related to tourists’ experiences

and the harmony of the community. The aim of this article is to explore and analyze the daily

interactions between locals and migrants in Zhouzhuang. This will be achieved through interviews

and a model framework.

 Components of Research

Objectives of the Research The research objective is . . . (a) . . . by . . . (b). . . .

Daily interaction is a primary means of understanding social change, which is of vital importance

for community well-being. In tourism host communities, daily interactions among different

resident groups reflect tourism’s effects and these are directly related to tourists’ experiences

and the harmony of the community. The aim of this article is to explore and analyze the daily

interactions between locals and migrants in Zhouzhuang. This will be achieved through interviews

and a model framework.

 Components of Research

Objectives of the Research The research objective is . . . (a) . . . by . . . (b). . . .

Imagine you are a researcher interested in studying the effects of social media on students.

Complete the research objective for the given text below:

Students tend to socialize, pass time, or escape from their responsibilities through their cell

phones and while using social media. The objective of this research is ___________________

____________________________________________________________________________.
 Components of Research

Data Collection Tools

Data are the experimental observations that are recorded for the research.
and Strategies They can be:
- annual percentage changes
- the number of children in each family,
- scores on an attitude scale,
- field notes from observing shopping behavior,
- or interview responses from kindergarteners

Data can be gathered from a wide variety of sources, including:

- experiments,
- surveys,
- public records,
- historical documents,
- statistical yearbooks,
- and direct field observation
Lewis-Beck, M. S. (2004). Data. In M. S. Lewis-Beck, A. Bryman, & T. F. Liao (Eds), The SAGE encyclopedia of
social science research methods (pp. 834-835). ISBN: 9780761923633.
 Components of Research

Data Collection Tools

The data that is collected can be qualitative and/or quantitative
and Strategies

Quantitative data Data are numbers that have an underlying meaning in the research
Quantity/Amount

Qualitative data Data can be the researcher’s observations or recordings, which are then analyzed

Quality/Feature

Survey
Interviews
To collect data, Questionnaire These tools create
the researcher Observations the design of the
Case studies
needs tools study
Mobile data Focus groups
 Components of Research

Data Collection Tools

and Strategies

Quantitative data Qualitative data

Quantity/Amount Quality/Feature

Data mining Structured Interview Observation

Observation
Probability sampling Case study Online content
Survey/
Questionnaire Story telling Field research
(Narrative)
 Practice

Purchased Premium
Rome Tourists
Denmark University students
Between 65-80 years old

1. Northern Europe 1. Italy

2. 2.

3. Use Grammarly 3. Art Museums

4. 4.

5. 5.
 Practice

Imagine you are a researcher who wants study “Reasons for back pain associated with computer use.”
Who can your sample population be? Where can you find them?

Kuwait
 Practice

Imagine you are a researcher who wants study “Reasons for back pain associated with computer use.”
Who can your sample population be? Where can you find them?

Kuwait
Jahra Area
Call center workers

Work more than 6 hours per day

Between 18-30 years old

OR have been working in this industry for more
than 2 years
Questions?
 Assignment 1

Date posted Due Date Weight

Wednesday, June 30th Tuesday, July 6th 15%
by 17:00 by 21:00